10 Song Challenge
by Holly Marie Fowl
Summary: Instructions: "With your iPod on shuffle, listen to ten songs, and write a drabble for each." Character: Deryn S. Pairing: Deryn/Alek Enjoy...T because I'm a complete chicken. C.2: 12 Pains of Christmas! ;
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I finally got the guts to do this. I'm going to do one for Artemis Fowl, as well, I think. I might do another challenge for different characters of Leviathan.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the songs, the book, or the rules. It sucks, doesn't it?

Rules (borrowed from someone else):

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.  
3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards! You don't have to do a song that's only instrumental.  
4. Do ten of these, then post them

Character: Deryn Sharp

Pairing: Deryn/Alek

Fandom: Leviathan

**1. Strawberry Fields Forever (Across the Universe Version) by the Beatles**

Deryn stared across the field. "So many people," she whispered, half to herself, and half to Alek. He looked at her, looking quite pale. The Germans had slaughtered their enemies. The field was dyed red, like the color of strawberries.

Alek sighed. "This is my fault."

Deryn whipped around to face her friend. "Not by a long shot. You didn't murder these people."

"No, but my father's assasination started the war." Alek swayed where he stood. Deryn stepped close to him and pulled him into a hug.

"You're burning up," She whispered from his arms. "You didn't tell me you were sick."

Alek shrugged as much as possible. "Doesn't matter." Was he trying to be as tough as a soldier? Or was he just being a boy?

**2. Paralyzer by Finger Eleven**

Deryn sipped a glass of water in her hand, and watched her friend from across the room. He was having the time of his life. He didn't seem to notice her as he ran his fingers through his brown hair. It was already dissheveled enough without this. The only cure was getting away from the wind, and that just wasn't going to happen. He turned his green eyes to her, grinned and waved. She raised a hand. Her pulse was running wild, her breathing shallow. What was wrong with her? She was going to get caught if she kept it up like this! She was standing there, daft as a girl from her village, watching him, his strong arms, which were gaining muscle, and picturing them wrapped around her. She pictured herself in those arms, pressing her lips to his red ones.  
"Dylan? Are you okay?" That idiot Newkirk.

She jumped. "Fine."

**3. The Way You Love Me by Faith Hill**

Her hand ran through his air, and she pressed her forehead to his. Grinning, he pressed his lips to hers again, sending shock waves through her. If she thought being in the air was heaven, she was wrong. She couldn't have possibly have been this happy before she was ever in his arms. He was so strong, so secure, and she never had to hide around him. If only he could feel the way she felt when she was in her arms. How could he possibly know the effect he had on her? There wasn't a way in the world. He was the million reasons she couldn't help but grin when he looked at her. She'd known him for months, and still, she grinned like an idiot when she saw him, when he touched her. If only he could feel what it was like….

**4. I Will Stay by We Are the Fallen**

Deryn stared at the candle flame in front of her, listened to the rain pound the roof of her house. She was drained emotionally, physically, too. She'd kept it up for three years, waiting, wishing he'd come back. Maybe tonight. The war was over, so it was safe. Maybe tonight. It was his life she'd lost her career saving. A tap on the window, light, but silent. Deryn smiled and got up silently. Into the rain she went, and into his arms. Her mother's wrath was worth this, worth him. She would stay there for as long as she lived. She'd stay in his arms.

**5. Bust Your Windows (Glee Cast Version)**

Unconsciously, she felt her hand fly through the window. She was sick of it. How dare he do this to her? How dare he lie to her? She'd risked her career, her life, her well-being, all for that lying bum-rag. All she had ever done was love him. She'd lied for him. She'd told him her greatest secret. She'd spilled her heart. How could he do this to her? Blisters, she heard herself swear. It was so unreal. She wasn't herself, she was watching herself do this: smash the window in his walker, clutch at her red-stained hand, and glare up at Alek, hurt in her eyes. She saw his green eyes, normally so straightforward, now clouded with mystery. His face was drawn tight as he backed away from her. With good reason. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or something like that.

**6. Smile by Uncle Krakker**

A grin slowly spread across her face, her heart kicked into overtime. She was acting like such a girl, but she couldn't help it. It was what he did to her! She wanted to dance, to sing at the top of her lungs, to fly. She felt like she was flying through the air as he touched her shoulder. He should know better than to touch her out in the open, but she supposed he couldn't help it. She barely held back from throwing her arms around him, from hugging him, or worse, kissing him right in front of every soldier atop the Leviathan. That rush of jubilation…did he get it too? It made her feel like she could do anything and everything. It was so foolish that she should feel this way over a barking clanker, but she honestly couldn't help it. Alek was everything.

**7. Stand In the Rain by SuperChic[k]**

A dress. They put her in a barking dress for her father's funeral. It was a perfect insult to his memory. She didn't have the strength to protest anymore. Everything in her was focused on keeping it together. _I am a strong, independent woman, _she thought. _Everything I do must be my own._ I cannot loose control, not here. No words left her lips the whole thing. No complaints of how cold she was out in the middle of a graveyard, while it was raining. Her face was pooled in a perfect mask of emotion. Her brother kept his arm around her shoulders, and she felt hope. She would not be destroyed. Her aunt and mother could never control her, turn her into a perfect girl. Never.

**8. Girl (Across the Universe Version) by The Beatles **

She laughed as he sang. It was about her, she knew. It always was, and now that they were alone, he could show it.

**9. Light Up the Sky by Yellowcard**

Alek slumped against the wall, almost collapsing from being so tired.

Deryn smiled up at him. "Rough day?"

"Yeah."

Everything was different. Every moral she had tried to uphold had come tumbling down when he rescued her from the snow. She would die for him, do anything for him. He would never know. She could never tell him, without running the risk of sounding like a daft, half-mad girly. He glanced up at her.

"See something good, Deryn?" he joked. Deryn blushed profusely. He had caught her staring. She looked away, scowling.

**10. Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations**

"Why isn't he here? Where is he?" she muttered, pacing her cabin. She froze, when she realized what she was doing. She was getting worked up over a boy. A barking Clanker. Not only a late Clanker, but an archduke's son. Who was he to claim he liked her, to pretend it would work? It never would. He was only building her up to break her down later. And she was falling for it! She needed him, and she hated him for it, but yet, she was still deperately attracted to him. "What's wrong with me?"

**End Notes:** That wasn't too horrible. Except that one of the songs, number 4, I haven't really heard much. And number 8? That song is really short! Let me know what you think…


	2. Chapter 2

**Salvete.** I was doing more song shuffles for practice and ended up getting this song. It took forever, but I thought it'd be funny to put this up. Tis the season! Merry Christmas! (very very very early…)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the book or song.

**Twelve Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers**

1. Finding a Christmas Tree

"This is impossible!" exclaimed Deryn, leaning into her husband's supporting arm. He was just as tired of this as she was.

"I know, but it must be done."

"That one," she said, pointing to one at random. Rather than dealing with the fuss, Alek merely agreed and asked an assistant to help cut it down.

2. Rigging up the Lights

"A little to the left," Alek called from his position on the ground. Deryn glared down the ladder at him, but did as he said. She kept working until she realized that there was no possible way to plug it in without an extension cord. When she asked for one, however…

"What, we have no extension cords?" Deryn exclaimed, looking down at him. After they had finally run to the store and gotten the right length of electric cord, they ran into another problem.

"Why are they blinking?" Alek called.  
"I don't know! But if one light goes out, they all go out!" Deryn yelled, fiddling with it some more. All of them suddenly went out. "Get a flashlight, I blew a fuse!"

"You're doing it all wrong!" Alek said, handing her the flashlight.

"Fine, if you're so smart, _you_ rig up the lights!" Deryn yelled, sliding down the ladder again and storming off, leaving the lights hanging from the roof and Alek wondering what he'd done wrong.

3. Hangovers

"Oh jeez," Deryn said, rubbing her head. She felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Her fiancé sat up next to her, facing a similar problem. They looked at each other for a minute and went back to sleep. Hangovers were bad.

4. Sending Christmas Cards

"I don't even know half these people!" Deryn exploded, tossing down her pen and rubbing her aching hand.

Alek looked up at her. "Neither do I."

"Then why are we sending these?"

"Something about diplomacy."

"I vote for not sending them out this year," Deryn said, crossing her arms, clearly implying that she was not having it.

He grinned mischievously at her. "I can think of better things to do."

5. Months of Bills

"When did we even buy this?" Alek asked, raising his eyebrows, and looking up at Deryn.

"I think that was a Christmas present for Jaspert," she replied.

"That was five months ago."

"Aye, and it was barking expensive."

No arguing there.

6. Facing the In-laws

"What do you mean?"

"A dinner, Alek, it is the holidays, after all," Deryn said. "I don't like this anymore than you, but 'it has to be done.'" She couldn't resist the horrid imitation of him.

Alek scowled. "What do you think they'll discuss this time?"

"God only knows."

7. Charities

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you. What did you say?" Alek asked.

"I said—" But she was cut off as the bell began to ring louder. Stupid charities.

8. Little Kids

"Deryn, watch out!" Alek said, pulling her back. It was fortunate that he did, for she was almost hit by a five-year-old in the middle of a tantrum ("DADDY I WANT SOME CANDY!") The father of the child, who looked rather disheveled, gave them an apologetic look and scurried after the kid.

9. Parking

Alek swore in German. Deryn pretend not to know what he was saying.

"Get out of our barking way!" she snapped, hoping that the man who had just cut them off would realize what he'd just done.

10. "Batteries Not Included"

"Hang on, Alek," Deryn sighed, grabbing AA batteries from the aisle shelves. "Batteries aren't included."

"I don't know why they do that. Can you imagine how many parents forget to buy batteries and realize their mistake when their kids go to play with the toys? They should really just put batteries in the packages," Alek complained.

"I know, dear. I think this holiday shopping is getting to you."

11. Stale TV specials

"What's on?" Deryn asked, collapsing on the couch, with a TV dinner in hand.

Alek scowled, flipping through the channels.

"TV specials."

"Uggg. They play those every barking year!"

12. Singing Christmas Carols

Alek received a glare when he entered the kitchen, still singing "Deck The Halls."

"Not in the house," Deryn said, pointing a knife at him.

Putting his hands up to surrender, he came around the counter to kiss her.

**End Notes:** Obviously some are better than others. I love this song, especially imitating the guy who's trying to put up the lights. Let me know what you think!

Love and Skittles,

Holly Marie Fowl


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